Bud Light manufactured by Anheuser-Busch is displayed at a store in Miami on July 27, 2023.
Joe Radle | Getty Images
Anheuser-Busch InBevs Bud Light will once again be the official beer sponsor of Ultimate Fighting Championship, entering into a six-year marketing partnership, the companies announced Tuesday.
The sponsorship deal is “well into the nine figures” and is the largest in the mixed martial arts promotion’s history, a person familiar with the deal told CNBC on Tuesday.
As part of the deal, Bud Light will receive exclusive and prominent branding at UFC matches, events and in-arena promotions. Additionally, the brewer will collaborate on original content for UFC’s digital and social channels.
The agreement takes effect on January 1st.
The agreement follows a conservative boycott of Anheuser-Busch’s Bud Light that began this spring after the company partnered with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney. The backlash caused beer sales to decline in the weeks that followed.Modelo Especial dethrones Bud Light as America’s best-selling beer as backlash reaches climax
The deal re-establishes Anheuser-Busch’s relationship with an organization considered to have more conservative political leanings than many other U.S. sports leagues. UFC CEO Dana White has donated at least $1 million to political action committees supporting Donald Trump’s 2020 presidential campaign, and the former president appeared at a UFC event in Las Vegas earlier this year. .
Anheuser-Busch’s relationship with the UFC dates back to 2008. In 2017, the mixed martial arts company welcomed fast-growing Modelo as its official beer sponsor.
Bud Light is now replacing Modelo, which is distributed by Bud Light. constellation brand.
“Anheuser-Busch and Bud Light have always been at the forefront of iconic sports moments that fans will remember forever,” Anheuser-Busch CEO Brendan Whitworth said in a statement. “Reuniting with the UFC is a continuation of this industry-leading tradition.”
The UFC is owned by a newly formed organization. TKO Group Holdings Co., Ltd.., reaching an audience of more than 700 million fans, the companies said. The partnership will make Bud Light available in an estimated 900 million TV households in more than 170 countries.
“Anheuser-Busch and Bud Light were the original beer sponsors of the UFC over 15 years ago, and we are proud to announce that we are back in business together,” said White. Said.
”I chose Anheuser-Busch and Bud Light for many reasons, but most importantly, we are very aligned in our core values and what the UFC brand stands for. Because I feel like I am,” he added.
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